The Art of Self-Improvement

Philosophy

Recognizing the Toxic Cultural Scripts That Shape Us

Anna Katharina Schaffner Ph.D. on May 2, 2023

What deeper cultural scripts are running you unconsciously? Selecting the playbooks you want to live by more discerningly can be a key to flourishing and living more purposefully.

What deeper cultural scripts are running you unconsciously? Selecting the playbooks you want to live by more discerningly can be a key to flourishing and living more purposefully.

Career

How Honing Your Resign-Ability Can Empower You at Work

Anna Katharina Schaffner Ph.D. on April 3, 2023

Do you feel stressed, burned out, and hopeless at work? Planning long-term exit strategies can be truly empowering.

Do you feel stressed, burned out, and hopeless at work? Planning long-term exit strategies can be truly empowering.

Burnout

"Is This It?": 4 Key Reasons for Midlife Languishing

Anna Katharina Schaffner Ph.D. on March 8, 2023

It seems counterintuitive that life satisfaction hits rock bottom in our forties, when we have likely achieved many of our aims. So why is this the case?

It seems counterintuitive that life satisfaction hits rock bottom in our forties, when we have likely achieved many of our aims. So why is this the case?

Anger

The Truth About Self-Hatred

Anna Katharina Schaffner Ph.D. on January 17, 2023

The true origins of self-hatred are sadder than you may think. But it is possible to move from self-hatred to self-compassion.

The true origins of self-hatred are sadder than you may think. But it is possible to move from self-hatred to self-compassion.

Career

The Real Problem with Quiet Quitting

Anna Katharina Schaffner Ph.D. on December 13, 2022

What's wrong with quiet quitting? Everything, most of all the name, which masks what is really going on in the world of work.

What's wrong with quiet quitting? Everything, most of all the name, which masks what is really going on in the world of work.

Burnout

5 Steps to Overcome Burnout

Anna Katharina Schaffner Ph.D. on November 20, 2022

Are you languishing or labouring at the brink of exhaustion? Exploring your deeper beliefs about work, time and value can hold the key to flourishing again.

Are you languishing or labouring at the brink of exhaustion? Exploring your deeper beliefs about work, time and value can hold the key to flourishing again.

Career

Is How You Are Working Working for You?

Anna Katharina Schaffner Ph.D. on November 1, 2022

We may be under the spell of toxic productivity regimes that are making us less, not more, productive.

We may be under the spell of toxic productivity regimes that are making us less, not more, productive.

Career

What Ever Happened to 'Workaholism'?

Anna Katharina Schaffner Ph.D. on October 25, 2022

Do you struggle to stop working, and do you feel the pressure of "burnout culture" at your organisation? The roots of our compulsion to work too much go deeper than you think.

Do you struggle to stop working, and do you feel the pressure of "burnout culture" at your organisation? The roots of our compulsion to work too much go deeper than you think.

Loneliness

Why Allowing Difficult Emotions Is Good for Us

Anna Katharina Schaffner Ph.D. on June 6, 2022

Are you experiencing recurring negative thoughts about yourself? They have a surprising function: to protect you from feeling too much.

Are you experiencing recurring negative thoughts about yourself? They have a surprising function: to protect you from feeling too much.

Self-Help

The Problem With Believing in Manifesting

Anna Katharina Schaffner Ph.D. on May 17, 2022

Manifesting is a dangerous self-help trend that advocates magical thinking and is based on a victim-blaming ideology.

Manifesting is a dangerous self-help trend that advocates magical thinking and is based on a victim-blaming ideology.

Depression

Do You Feel Heavy, Exhausted, Depleted, and Weighed Down?

Anna Katharina Schaffner Ph.D. on April 9, 2022

Are gravity’s laws torture? Does it feel as though the cosmos has conspired to pull you down? There is hope when our hearts feel hopeless and heavy.

Are gravity’s laws torture? Does it feel as though the cosmos has conspired to pull you down? There is hope when our hearts feel hopeless and heavy.

Perfectionism

5 Reasons Why Perfectionism Can Make Us Ill

Anna Katharina Schaffner Ph.D. on April 1, 2022

Perfectionism can make you ill, exhausted, and burnt out. But you can also learn how to turn it into a positive quality by being a "good enough" perfectionist.

Perfectionism can make you ill, exhausted, and burnt out. But you can also learn how to turn it into a positive quality by being a "good enough" perfectionist.

Cognitive Behavioral Therapy

What's So Great About Acceptance and Commitment Therapy?

Anna Katharina Schaffner Ph.D. on March 22, 2022

ACT teaches us to FEEL good, not to feel GOOD. And it takes mind metaphors seriously.

ACT teaches us to FEEL good, not to feel GOOD. And it takes mind metaphors seriously.

Burnout

The Burnout Paradox

Anna Katharina Schaffner Ph.D. on March 21, 2022

How can we distinguish effectively between unchangeable external factors and improvable internal factors in burnout?

How can we distinguish effectively between unchangeable external factors and improvable internal factors in burnout?

Self-Help

The 12 Best Self-Improvement Books

Anna Katharina Schaffner Ph.D. on December 30, 2021

Many of the best self-improvement books were written in the long-distant past.

Many of the best self-improvement books were written in the long-distant past.

Self-Help

What We Really Talk about When We Talk about Self-Help

Anna Katharina Schaffner Ph.D. on September 9, 2021

Do you believe in willpower and our unlimited ability to shape ourselves, or that we are to a large extent determined by nature and nurture?

Do you believe in willpower and our unlimited ability to shape ourselves, or that we are to a large extent determined by nature and nurture?

Career

Define or Be Defined: On Self-Labelling

Anna Katharina Schaffner Ph.D. on July 7, 2021

Self-labelling is not just an exercise in branding, but a deeply revealing cultural practice, indicative of dominant social and cultural trends.

Self-labelling is not just an exercise in branding, but a deeply revealing cultural practice, indicative of dominant social and cultural trends.

Cognitive Behavioral Therapy

Defusing the Culture Wars

Anna Katharina Schaffner Ph.D. on January 27, 2021

A simple ACT technique may be a highly effective means of freeing us from narrative warfare and enabling us to engage in shared value-led action

A simple ACT technique may be a highly effective means of freeing us from narrative warfare and enabling us to engage in shared value-led action

Coronavirus Disease 2019

Is Our "Me-First" Culture Waning?

Anna Katharina Schaffner Ph.D. on September 16, 2020

There are encouraging signs that we are moving toward more other-oriented social values. It is high time, and we will all benefit.

There are encouraging signs that we are moving toward more other-oriented social values. It is high time, and we will all benefit.

Narcissism

The Art of Humility

Anna Katharina Schaffner Ph.D. on June 8, 2020

Humility is not just an ancient virtue with a rich history, but also a trait with significant positive effects on our cognitive, interpersonal, and decision-making skills.

Humility is not just an ancient virtue with a rich history, but also a trait with significant positive effects on our cognitive, interpersonal, and decision-making skills.